Taking off

Today, I’m heading out. For the next three months, I’ll be travelling and living in the Middle East. Most of the time in Israel and Palestine. Through the Israeli WWOOF network, I’ve arranged to stay at the kibbutz Neot Semadar in southern Israel. Through my stay I hope to experience communal kibbutz life, learn a lot about organic agriculture and sustainable building practices, and explore a wholly different climate and culture. Further along, I’ll be exploring Israel and Palestine, in part to try and make sense of the strained political situation and the religious and cultural importance that so many people place upon this relatively small area.

This sabbatical is primarily a means to activate my wanderlust, which has been growing for the past couple of years. But it is also a means for me to get away from my old everyday life. In the past few months, my long-time girlfriend and I have broken up, and I have moved out of the commune where we have lived for the past two and half years. It feels like I’m starting over. But I still don’t know what that means.

Taking off like this is an opportunity for me to review my life and figure out what’s important to me, and how I want my life to be in the longer run. It sounds big. And I guess it feels big, too. But I take some comfort in the fact that even long journeys can be reduced to just putting one foot in front of the other. Moving forward doesn’t have to be more difficult than that.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.